


Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes

by rnr4ev



Series: Familial Ties [1]
Category: Persona 2, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, the cast of p2 is is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-05 05:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15856755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rnr4ev/pseuds/rnr4ev
Summary: Ann's mother visits and sees similarities between Ann's friends and the friends she once had in another life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is entirely self-indulgent

“How does that dress feel, does it fit you alright?” Lisa asked, fussing over a stray strand of fabric peeking out of the seam.

 

“Mm-hmm it’s great Mrs. Takami” The model replied, taking a few tentative steps back and forth to ensure that the fit was right. 

 

“Great, that was the last check I needed to make. So you can go ahead and get changed and I’ll make sure the outfit is ready for tomorrow’s show”.

 

The model bowed and left with a quick thanks and promises for the show tomorrow while Lisa sighed. She was supposed to be in Japan this month but after being invited to display her designs in an “idol-inspired” show, she could hardly decline. Ann had assured her that it was fine but it had been far too long since her or her husband had been able to directly spend time with Ann. Though and with all the news about Shujin and the Phantom Thieves, well who could blame a mother for being concerned. She looked at the dress, inspired mostly by her time in MUSES and considered making a similar one in Ann’s size before shaking her head. 

 

Mind made up she reached for her phone, she had some calls to make.

 

* * *

  
  


“Good work today team! I’m sure we’re getting close to the bottom of mementos” Morgana bounced about excitedly as they walked towards the exit of mementos.

 

“Yeah if there even is a bottom” Ryuji muttered under his breath. 

 

“We did good work today, I’m glad that we were able to help Futaba’s friend” Haru interjected directing Morgana’s attention away from Ryuji to prevent an argument.

 

“I can’t thank you all enough for helping out” Futaba agreed, “I just hope this helps Kana-chan”

 

“I’m sure it will” Makoto replied, lightly resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

“Still though, I’m beat, I can’t wait to get home and get some sleep” Ryuji interjected, yawning halfway through.

 

“I too, am looking forward to returning to the dorms tonight, what about you Akechi” Yusuke added.

 

“I’m surprised how tired I am. I might have to forgo going on my morning cycling” Akechi replied shrugging as the warped atmosphere of mementos dispersed around them. 

 

“Ugh I have to clean before I sleep tonight I totally forgot” Ann groaned, adjusting the sleeves of her jacket.

“Clean? Don’t you live with a bunch of servants or something?” Ryuji asked, squinting over at her suspiciously.

 

“Yeah but they mostly show up once a week to check in on me now that I’m in highschool and make sure I haven’t destroyed the place” Ann replied. “Plus my mom’s visiting tomorrow so I want the place to look nice for her, you know?”

 

“Lady Ann! That’s soo sweet” 

 

“I guess? I just haven’t seen her in awhile so I want to make sure the place looks nice”

 

“If that’s the case, we probably put off going into mementos tomorrow, what do you think Akira?” Makoto added.

 

“Sounds like a plan. Enjoy seeing your mom Ann” Akira nodded.

 

“Aw, thanks everyone. Well, I’ll see most of you in school tomorrow. Bye Yusuke, Futaba. Bye Akechi” Ann waved as she ran off in the direction of her train.

 

“I understand why she said buy to us, but shouldn’t she have also said bye to Morgana?” Akechi mused out loud.

“I’m under the impression that Morgana follows Akira to class” Yusuke replied, oblivious to the frantic hand waving of their leader.

Akechi raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you always carry him around in your bag?”

“He gets lonely at home”

“I do NOT”

 

Biting her lip, Ann let the sounds of her friends fade into the background. It had been a little over a year since she had last seen her mother and she was always a little nervous about how to act around her after a long absence like this. It wasn’t that she resented her for working overseas so often it was just often awkward. She knew her mom loved her but…

* * *

 

She sighed opening the door to her home.

 

“Aiya! I didn’t think you’d be home so late honey” Ann stumbled back as she was engulfed in a strong and enthusiastic hug.

 

“Mom?! You’re home already??” 

 

“Mm-hmm my flight got bumped up and I wanted to surprise you, so SURPRISE” Lisa stepped back to survey her daughter. She hadn’t grown but..

 

“You look like you’ve been taking care of yourself, and what’s this?” she squeezed Ann’s arm to double check. “Have you been working out Ann?”

 

Ann smiled wide flexing a little, “Yup, I had Ryuji come up with a workout plan for me. We go to the gym with Akira”

 

“That’s wonderful Ann” and just like that she found herself catching up with her mother, fears forgotten. She told her about her new friends, which her mother was over the moon over, “I’m so glad you finally found a group of people who care about you” and her mother told her about the shows she had been putting on “I saw a bit of the last one on tv, the model you chose really knew how to display your outfit”.

 

It was late when Ann finally was able to pull herself away for bed, but not before her mom made her promise to take her to visit Leblanc after school the next day.

 

Lisa sat in the master bedroom, carefully placing a few gifts she had yet to give Ann away into her closet. Perhaps her worries had been a bit misguided. Her daughter seemed to be thriving. She had always had some trouble making friends, but to hear her talk about her new friends it made her heart heavy with joy. The way Ann talked about them reminded her of- no, no she wasn’t going to go there. It had been years since she’d thought about the Other Side and frankly that was for the best. Tatsuya, Jun and Eikichi didn’t know her here and she wasn’t about to risk the end of the world to see if Maya remembered either. Honestly, if she’s going to reminisce about old times she might as well see how Mami and Miho were doing.

* * *

 

**Ann:** sooo im bringing my mom to leblanc tomorrow if that’s okay?

**Akira:** Go ahead, Sojiro deserves more customers

**Ann:** She said she wants to meet my friends too, so i guess if anyone’s available, feel free to stop by.

**Yusuke:** Ann’s mom huh? Perhaps I can ask her to model for me

**Ann:** Yusuke no

**Akira:** Yusuke no

**Futaba:** Yusuke no

**Yusuke:** ?

**Makoto** : Yeah, I’ll see if I can stop by

**Haru** : I might be a little late but it would be a pleasure to meet her.

**Ann:** thanks everyone

**Ann:** wbu Ryuji? Are you going to come say hi

**Ryuji** : ummmmm

…

**Ryuji:** I have something to do tomorrow

**Ann:** …

**Ryuji:** it’s completely unavoidable, cant make it

**Ann:** …

**Ann:** Ryuji Sakamoto, are you telling me you’re still scared of my mom?

**Ryuji:** …

**Makoto:** why would Ryuji be scared of your mom?

**Ann:** ehh, she used to be really good at Kung Fu

**Makoto:** that’s not really an explanation?

**Futaba:** yeah spill the beans

**Yusuke** : I confess, I do find myself quite curious

**Ryuji** : can we not?

**Ann:** I mean you’re kinda the one who brought it up so…

**Ryuji** : look, it’s not my fault ur mom is scary

**Ann:** it was one time, Ryuji and she said she was sorry?

**Akira:** ?

**Ryuji:** she punched me in the face

**Ann:** on accident!!

**Makoto:** oh my

**Futaba:** lakjdlkjasdfs

**Ryuji:** She has it out for me

**Ann:** she does not your just being a big baby

**Ryuji** : am not! That punch hurt

**Ann:** well i guess you’re not getting any of the foreign candy she gave me to share with you all

**Ryuji** : …

**Ryuji** : fiiiine, I’ll be there.

* * *

 

The cafe Ann lead her to was inconspicuously tucked down by a residential street. She followed her daughter in, taking a moment to examine the surroundings. The place had a classy feel to it, with just enough down-to-earth charm that she could tell the place was well loved. Ann, immediately ran towards a large booth where a large gaggle of teenagers sat, school bags and books scattered about the table. 

 

A girl with short brown hair immediately stood up and offered her a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you Takamaki-sama” She greeted. Ah, polite but straightforward...this must be

“It’s nice to meet you to Makoto” 

The girl’s eyes widened a bit and she sat down blushing slightly.

 

“Okay so let me guess,” She started looking over at the lanky teen cradling a sketchbook in his hands, “you’re Yusuke” she pointed and then moved to the next teen, a smaller girl with long orange hair and glasses, “you’re Futaba” and that would make you, she turned to the last girl who was sitting with a polite smile “Haru?” 

 

“Wow, I’m impressed that you knew are names already” Futaba spoke up from her seat, looking over at Ann out of curiosity.

“I spent most of last night grilling her about you all, just to make sure I’d get it right.” The bell chimed overhead as Ryuji and Akira walked in.

 

“Oh and you must be Akira! And Ryuji of course. You sure look a lot different now with blonde hair” Lisa reached over and mussed it a bit, surprised at how well the color suited him.

“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Takamaki” Ryuji replied, sliding into the booth.

 

* * *

 

Lisa watched as the kids all talked amongst each other. She had flagged Sojiro down an hour or so ago for some curry and now both adults sat back as the kids annimatedly went over their homework. 

 

“Thank you for watching over Ann” she’d told Sojiro after ordering, to which he had simply replied, “she’s a sweet girl” and left it at that. 

 

Ann hadn’t told her the full circumstances behind Akira’s stay with Sojiro, but watching the kids interact with him she figured it was okay. The TV ran in the background, snatches of interviews about the phantom thieves and upcoming elections reaching through. It was nice, Lisa thought to herself watching as Futaba and Yusuke argued with each other, or Makoto or Haru gently reminded everyone to get back on task. The kids reminded her so much of her former friends she thought, a dull ache running through her as Futaba and Yusuke reenacted an argument very similar to one she’d had with Eikichi over featherman. She turned instead to the two older girls, but when she found herself catching glimpses of Maya in them she had to redirect her focus again. Ryuji had grown up some from when she’d met him as a middle schooler, still though she couldn’t help but see Eikichi in his mannerisms. She sighed. It was unusual for her to think so much about the past like this. 

 

“Would you like me to refill your cup?” Akira asked, startling her briefly.

 

“Oh no, I was thinking about actually letting Ann spend the rest of the night with her friends” Lisa smiled at Akira, wondering just when he had snuck back behind the counter. He shrugged and began the process of making more cups for the rest of his friends. There was something familiar about him. Almost like Chinyan, but not quite. He emitted the quiet type of leadership that  _ he _ used to but it was, subtler, a bit more subdued maybe. She smiled at him as he cleared away her dishes. It seemed like Ann was going to be okay after everything that had happened at her school.

 

“Hey Ann honey? I think I’m going to head out” she lightly patted Ann’s head.

 

“Okay mom, is it okay if I stay for a while longer?” She nodded and then waved her goodbyes. 

 

As she turned to take a glance at Ann before leaving, she could’ve sworn she saw the silhouette of someone else. It happened briefly, Ann’s long blonde hair darkening into ringlets, a panther mask over her face and then in the blink of an eye it was gone. Lisa shook her head. She was probably just tired from the flight back and from thinking so much about the Other Side. She felt Venus briefly, for just a moment from within her call out but she merely took a deep breath and continued walking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She turns and examines the kids. Ann is fidgeting in her seat, not meeting her eyes. The rest are following a similar suit although the youngest, Futaba hasn’t bothered to look up from where her face is resting in her arms. There’s a kid missing, she realizes quickly. The one that reminded her of Tatsuya. Nausea rises up in her chest and she pushes it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> experimenting with writing style is pretty fun

**1**.

She’s leaving an interview, saying bye to the translator and the members of the magazine on her way out when her phone buzzes.

 

 **Hubby** : Did you see? The phantom thieves made a tv appearance! Pay up hon looks like I won the bet on who could get closest to their designs <3

Lisa laughs to herself before replying

 **Lisa:** No way, it’s definitely got to be a prank. I’ll look it up when I get back to the hotel xoxo

 

She stows her phone and doesn’t think about the video again until a few hours later when her husband asks her if she’s seen it yet. Rolling onto her side she does a quick search and finds a video quickly enough. The qualities poor, it reminds her of when fans would try to record her during her idol days. The camera is shaky and misses the first part of the video but it quickly focuses in. A little cat icon bounces across the screen before switching to a still image of a group of people. They’re hidden, mostly in the shadow, but that doesn’t matter, doesn’t stop Lisa from pausing the video eyes wide and heart beating erratically. She zooms in to the best of her ability.

 

There’s no way, no way that she’s seeing what she thinks she’s seeing. Plenty of girls have long hair that they wear in pigtails, and have that body type...and pose like that... and unbidden the memory from last month flashes in her mind. Ann’s new friends, that familiar warm feeling she had felt, the flash of something that both was and couldn’t exist. Lisa drops the phone on the bed and screams into her pillow until her throat is raw.

 

 **2**.

She’s on a plane back to Shibuya when the skies go red. She can feel Venus, trembling back in fear and her own heart recoiling. The skies look like Xibalba and no one seems to care!

She’s abruptly pulled from her horror when the person two rows in front of her dissolves into inky black. Panic begins setting in to the rest of the passengers and she takes a deep breath to steady herself. She may not know what’s going on but somewhere out there her daughter is fighting and she’s going to do her damndest to make sure that the people around her live long enough to appreciate it. Taking a deep breath she calls upon a part of herself she’s never really summoned that much on ‘this side’ and as if in prayer she whispers, “Persona”.

 **3**.

When she makes it back to her home it’s very late at night. Ann’s shoes by the door tells her all she needs to know but when she opens the door to her daughters room and sees her dead asleep, still in her day clothes she decides to let her be. Her daughter can have one night of rest before answering her questions. Lisa rubs her tired eyes and follows her daughter’s example, falling asleep the instant her head hits her pillow.

 

It’s noon when she wakes, there’s a note carefully folded on her bedside table in Ann’s handwriting.

 

“Sorry mom, I had no idea you were going to be visiting again so soon. I have a party to get to this morning but I promise to be back this afternoon?”

 

Lisa takes the note in hand, tracing the familiar lettering before groaning and making her way out of bed. She feels unbelievably tired, like she’d just pulled an all nighter and then ran a marathon on top of it. It’s probably because her body isn’t used to calling forth her other self or because she’s started to grow older a more traitorous part of her mind whispers. She quickly puts a stop to such thoughts though, she has a party to crash after all.

 

 **4**.

When she steps into the cafe the place feels more like it’s witnessing the aftermath of a funeral than a party. The door swings open and Sojiro calls out, “Sorry we’re closed today” until he gets a good look at her. “Oh, I’m sorry Mrs. Takamaki, Ann didn’t mention you were joining us”. Lisa stops, door shut behind her, and takes a good cold look at the people around her. She may not have Big Sis’s intuition for reading people but she’s learned some things over the years, and that knowledge has her reexamining everyone with a more critical eye. Sojiro stands, almost protectively by the kids. A woman with long silver hair to his side. He knows. Undoubtedly he’s known for awhile what has been going on with her daughter.

 

She turns and examines the kids. Ann is fidgeting in her seat, not meeting her eyes. The rest are following a similar suit although the youngest, Futaba hasn’t bothered to look up from where her face is resting in her arms. There’s a kid missing, she realizes quickly. The one that reminded her of Tatsuya. Nausea rises up in her chest and she pushes it down.

Focus on the adults first, she tells herself and turns back to Sojiro.

 

“What exactly is going on here?”

 

 **5**.

It’s a little easier to breathe when she finds out that Akira is still alive and not as she had presumed dead. The tension has eased between Sae, Sojiro and herself although the kids still look at her warily. She catches Ann glancing at her with a hint of guilt and determination across her face while Sojiro and Sae explain things. By the time they’re done conversing the kids have brightened up considerably, determination apparent in their eyes. She had been more focused on Sojiro than Sae but she gets the gist of the idea the kids are going for.

 

“I know a detective or two from my hometown” she finds herself saying before she can think better of it, “I’ll see if they can help free him”

 

Ann looks at her with a questioning look in her eyes, but she’s not ready to talk about Ta-chan or Katsuya here so she ignores it for the moment. Makoto and Sae thank her for her offer and she decides it’s time to leave and let them brainstorm for a bit longer. As she stands up from the counter though she pauses.

 

It’s a bit of a challenge to call her after yesterday, she almost curses herself for not grabbing a chewing soul on the way over, but she lets Venus rise up within her. Five heads instantly whip towards her and for a split second Lisa can feel the personas of the teens in front her, although it is a much weaker feeling than the St. Hermelin High alumni ever had.

 

“I’m sorry that you kids had to go through what you did. If...if you need someone to talk to I know some people who might be able to help”. She leaves the offer there as the door chimes closed behind her.

 

 **6**.

Ann looks up from her juice, toothless smile on her face, legs swinging against her the high stool by the counter. “Do I get to try on more dresses from papa today?” She asks a bright smile across her face.

 

“Hmm are you sure you don’t want to try on some of mama’s outfit’s today instead?” Lisa asks, knowing full well the answer she’s going to get.

 

“Nope, I like papa’s better” Lisa smiles, internally she’s adding more fuel to her desire to design a dress that Ann will voluntarily want to wear.

 

“Alright pumpkin, remember to be careful getting down.” Ann nods, frowning her little face in determination as she swings off the stool and onto the floor. Lisa turns for just one second to grab the keys to her and her husbands studio when a crash and the sound of glass breaking fills the room, followed quickly by the heartbreaking telltale quiver in Ann’s voice, “mom?” she asks and Lisa turns around.

 

 **7**.

“Mom?” Ann asks, hesitantly. Lisa turns and faces her. “Can you tell me about...about your persona?”

 

 **8**.

When she turns around the juice glass has shattered on the floor, the stool to the ground. Ann is clutching her head. A shallow gash across her forehead bleeds sluggishly.

 

Venus is there before Lisa can even properly summon her, scooping Ann up to safety and out of the glass minefield. Lisa whispers a soft dia spell under her breath and gently cradles Ann in her arms. Ann’s not looking at her though, she’s looking above her, little eyes wide in awe as Venus hovers over her.

 

 **9**.

Lisa laughs as Ann tells her about Hecate and the one who came before her, Carmen. She always loved her villainesses, fitting that her other self would reflect that.

 

“So mom, do you think it would be too cheeky to do a show based off the phantom thieves? You could help design outfits based off the guys and dad can help make dresses based off the girls and I could help model?” Ann asks and Lisa pinches her face fondly in response.

 

It’s not until a couple days later that Ann brings it up. Lisa’s tucking her into bed and leaning over to kiss her cheek when she asks,

 

“Mama? Will I ever have a guardian angel that watches over me like you do?” Lisa’s heart hammers painfully in her chest.

 

“Honey, I’m sure you already do”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would 'this side' Lisa be able to summon Venus if she has 'other side' Lisa's memories ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> unless inspiration strikes this'll probably be it for this particular fic.  
> Talk to me about persona at [squallisdead on twitter](https://twitter.com/squallisdead)  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be sporadically updating this fic with drabbles here and there.


End file.
